First of trio sentenced in Tupelo counterfeit scheme

ABERDEEN – Justin Jarmaine Judon of Ecru was sentenced Monday to 10 months in prison in a scheme to pass counterfeit money.
Judon, 29, pleaded guilty Aug. 9 to one count of a two-count indictment accusing him and two others of making and passing the fake money at two businesses in the Barnes Crossing area of Tupelo.
U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock also ordered him to pay $230 in restitution.
Indicted with him were Carlos Montanez King, 36, of Ecru and Amber K. Bailey, 29, of New Albany.
King, who pleaded guilty Aug. 2 to willful intent to defraud, recently asked and was granted more time to develop objections to a pre-sentence report.
Bailey pleaded guilty to the same agreement Aug. 9 and awaits completion of her pre-sentence report.
No dates are set for their sentencings.
For their pleas, they each faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In their June 16 indictment, the government accused Bailey, who worked at Mastercuts at The Mall at Barnes Crossing, of exchanging a counterfeit $100 bill for the real thing from the store’s cash register. She also was accused of doing the same at Walmart on North Gloster Street.
All three were accused of aiding and abetting each other in the scheme from June 2-6.
patsy.brumfield@journalinc.com